Goshen College expands medical and mental health services for students

The Goshen College Center for Health and Wellness has announced two formal agreements with Maple City Healthcare Center and Center for Healing and Hope along with telehealth medical and counseling services. The new local partnerships and virtual health options offer an expanded network of healthcare providers that meet the insurance coverage and financial needs of Goshen College students.

While Goshen College strongly recommends that all students have health insurance coverage (the college is not responsible for incurred medical expenses) it removed the health insurance enrollment requirement in 2025 to ensure equitable opportunities for anyone pursuing higher education. Specific programs like nursing, athletics and SST may still require that students show proof of insurance to participate.

“There are students who find it incredibly difficult to acquire health insurance,” said Patty Hartshorn, director of health and wellness. “We had to make a decision: Are we going to be open to all individuals seeking educational opportunities at Goshen College? Or are we going to restrict opportunities to those who can prove that they have health insurance?”

With policy changes and changes in students’ insurance coverage and socioeconomic status, the Center for Health and Wellness needed to prioritize mediating medical expenses and providing quality care for students.

“As our student population diversifies, so do their medical and insurance needs,” she said. 

Hartshorn and her team worked to identify local medical organizations who could offer affordable medical services and care to uninsured patients, leading to two formal provider agreements with Center for Healing and Hope and Maple City Healthcare Center. 

The Center for Healing and Hope offers physicals, acute and preventative healthcare, minor procedures, general practice and specialty care to uninsured and vulnerable populations. Upon registering and showing their Goshen College ID, students pay just $20 to see a physician, and as little as $5 to $15 for necessary labs and prescription medication. The Center for Healing and Hope also has a ride-share network for patients in need of transportation to and from medical appointments. 

Maple City Healthcare Center is a full-service medical provider, offering preventative healthcare, in-office medical procedures, women’s healthcare, nutrition and dietician services and referral to specialists. MCHCC support also includes mental and behavioral health care. MCHCC can offer assistance to students looking to secure health insurance through their insurance navigator. For patients who do not carry health insurance or are not looking to obtain health insurance, MCHCC provides a sliding scale for medical charges based on a person’s income. 

Under each formal agreement, Maple City Healthcare Center and Center for Healing and Hope commit to providing their medical and mental health services once Goshen College students register as patients. 

The new agreements address transportation, which students have named a significant barrier to receiving medical care. Students can show their student ID for free rides on the local trolley to all three medical partners. Maple City Healthcare Center is located approximately three miles north of campus and Center for Healing and Hope is located two miles north of campus in downtown Goshen. If students choose to receive care from the Center for Healing and Hope, they can also utilize the center’s ride-share network to get to their appointments. 

Goshen Family Physicians has served as the college’s primary medical partner since 2014. As a full service clinic, GFP has worked to provide preventative healthcare, management of acute and chronic illness, annual check ups, sport physicals, Study-Service Term physicals and referral to specialists for all Goshen College students. 

The relationship with GFP remains active, and it continues to be the primary medical support for students participating in SST — assisting with diagnosis, coordinating with medical service providers abroad and administering all vaccinations required for international travel. 

“We are very grateful for all the services and support Goshen Family Physicians has been able to give us,” said Hartshorn. 

To remedy transportation concerns in their entirety, the health services expansion also includes telehealth options for both medical and counseling services. 

All students now have access to Indiana University Health Virtual Care Clinic, a telehealth service offering same day diagnosis, treatment and referral to other healthcare services. To receive affordable care, students can either choose a self-pay option or present their health insurance while making an appointment. 

The college’s Counseling Office continues to offer in-person sessions and walk-in hours. However, with three licensed counselors and roughly 35 appointment slots available per week, Hartshorn estimated that only about 11% of students during the 2024–25 academic year were able to receive regular counseling sessions. 

To improve access to counseling services, the college partnered with UWill, a virtual counseling service for higher education. UWill connects students with providers based on preferences such as language, cultural background, gender, or LGBTQ+ competency, through a network covering the U.S. and roughly 21 other countries. Students can choose their own appointment day, time and counselor.

“There’s increased opportunity for students to connect with somebody who they feel represents them, and who they feel understands their needs,” Hartshorn said.

Students who need additional mental health services can also receive treatment from Maple City Healthcare Center and Oaklawn, a mental health and addiction services provider with campuses in Goshen, Elkhart, Mishawaka and South Bend.

“Hopefully, we’ve created options for students and have taken some stress off their plate,” Hartshorn said. “That way they can focus on being successful students.”

The Center for Health and Wellness plans to continue its annual Health and Wellness Fair, partner with the Indiana Department of Health for immunization clinics and host panels of medical experts and community advocates to answer student’s medical questions.